BISMARCK, N.D. - North Dakota University System colleges and universities provide multiple benefits to the state's economy and the lives of North Dakotans, as evidenced by reports provided at the June 16, 2011, meeting of the State Board of Higher Education.

"North Dakotans recognize that our campuses are committed to student achievement and to helping create student success," said Bill Goetz, NDUS chancellor. "But, clearly, our influence and impact are even broader. The University System's response to the state's challenges, opportunities and need for policy development have statewide impact."

A brief summary of four reports provided to the board follows:University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences Advisory Committee: North Dakota faces a serious healthcare workforce shortage, according to an annual report provided by Dr. Joshua Wynne, UND vice president for health affairs and dean of the UND School of Medicine and Health Sciences, speaking on behalf of the medical school's 15-member advisory council. Healthcare workforce challenges include both the number of physicians practicing in the state and the availability of physicians in rural North Dakota. Wynne also discussed the healthcare impacts of lifestyle choices and the disease burdens of an aging state population. Initiatives approved by the SBHE and funded by the 2011 Legislative Assembly will enable the medical school to make significant progress on addressing these challenges.

Workforce Training Business Plan: TrainND, North Dakota's workforce training system, continues to develop curriculum and training to meet the needs of the state's growth industries, such as healthcare and energy, according to the annual plan presented by Marsha Krotseng, Ph.D., NDUS vice chancellor for strategic planning and executive director of the College Technical Education Council. North Dakota's globally competitive business climate continues to thrive despite challenges such as housing shortages, infrastructure needs and national policy changes. The four regional quadrants of the TrainND system are evolving to meet market demands.

State Board of Agriculture Research and Extension: Innovative stewardship of the land and livestock guides the work of SBARE, according to an annual report presented by Rodney Howe, SBARE president, and D.C. Coston, Ph.D., North Dakota State University vice president for agriculture and university extension. Howe and Coston discussed several topics, such as the importance of crop varieties developed at NDSU to North Dakota's agriculture industry, future uses of agricultural byproducts and the impact of NDSU Agriculture and Extension Services on the daily lives of North Dakotans.

Carnegie Research Classifications: North Dakota enjoys a 7:1 return on its investment in research conducted at the University of North Dakota and North Dakota State University, according to a report presented by Robert Kelley, Ph.D., president of the University of North Dakota, and Dean Bresciani, Ph.D., president of North Dakota State University. Kelley and Bresciani discussed the tremendous impact of campus research on specific sectors of North Dakota's economy as well as opportunities for additional collaboration among the two research universities and other colleges and universities in the North Dakota University System.